From: jysema@network.cc.jyu.fi (Jyri Seppo Manninen)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.triathlon
Subject: Ironman Heart Rate Monitor Training
Date: 30 Dec 1994 11:05:44 +0200

Hi there.

Well, I'm not going to go into any great detail on specific training programmes, but if you want to use your HRM for training for an ironman then maybe you could use the following:

An ironman is completed at an intensity somewhat above your aerobic threshold, that is, you are mainly using your fats stores as a fuel source and your carbohydrate stores to some extent. The point is to maintain your relative "maximum" speed over the ironman distance (let's say 9-11 hours). So, when dividing up your training time by how much time you spend training at different intensities, for an ironman it would look something like this.

70 % low intensity training (LSD, recovery etc), that is, training mainly at or below the aerobic threshold (sometimes a little above).

20-25% medium intensity training, includes steady speed brisker pace training, speed play (fartlek), "easy" longer distance intervals etc. This training is performed between the aerobic and anaerobic thresholds.

5-10% high intensity training, e.g. race pace, harder intervals etc. performed at or above the anaerobic threshold.

For each of the above classifications you will have a corresponding HR which can be determined by somewhat inexact formulas or most accurately by maximal VO2 tests (e.g. treadmill tests). I'll not get into how these are determined now, but lets assume that for running, your aerobic threshold pulse is 160, your anaerobic threshold pulse is 180, and your max is 195. Low intensity training would thus be performed at HRs between 130-160(165) to build base fitness, utilize fat stores, that is, your main source of fuel over the ironman.

A recovery could be done with pulse 130 or so and slighter "harder" longer distance runs at pulse 150-160. Mid intensity training then at pulses between 160 - 180. Here however, you must remember that closer to 160 you use mainly fats while at a pulse of 180 you are using a greater relative percentage of carbohydrates (at that level, your carbo stores theoretically would last about 2 hours or so). Thus it makes sense to divide this mid intensity zone into 2 or 3 different classifications.

e.g. easy mid intensity HR=160-165(168)
mid mid intensity HR=165-175 and,
hard mid intensity HR=175-180(182)

This way you are prevented from thinking of this zone as one clear zone where training between the HRs 160-180 is the same. Again, in an ironman race, you would be using that easy mid intensity zone primarily, and so you can use that zone as your testing ground for how you think you'll do in the race.

Finally is the high intensity zone, going from 180-195 (max). Triathletes training for ironman distance seldom enter this area, at least heart rates closer to maximal. However, it is important to do speed training (in running especially) at higher intensities in order to improve your speed reserve and your maximal capacity. The point being, the higher your maximum speed / capacity, the more "reserve" you will have at lower intensities giving you possibilities to improve economy of movement (i.e. saving energy and improving your efficiency) which is necessary over the ironman distance.

Ok, remember that these HR suggestions are for running. For swimming and biking the maximal heart rates are usually somewhat less, therefore, so will the HRs for the aerobic and anaerobic thresholds. For biking take off about 5-10% and for swimming about 10-20%, thus your relative training HRs might look like this:

Swim Bike Run
aero. 130 145 160
anaer 150 165 180
max 170 185 195

Of course, it will be difficult to follow your pulse during swimming, and really it isn't so important as technique and swimming efficiency is the determining factor for swimming speed over longer distance, not intensity so much. Interestingly, the ironman swim is actually done at a very high intensity near, at, or even slightly over the anaerobic threshold. But as the swim takes only 10% or so of the end ironman time to complete, and swimming depletes mainly upper body muscle carbo stores, this is not such a bad thing.
However, if you try to do it for the bike and run, you'll bonk pretty quick.

So there you have it. How you choose to construct your weekly programme is up to you. Personally, I recommend more bike/run combinations (either long slow bike + short brisk run or shorter "time trial" biking to fatigue your legs followed by longer (though not necessarily very long runs) at slightly greater than predicted ironman running pace. Also, don't make the mistake of doing over 4-5 hour bikes or over 2.5
hour runs. Yes, it's true that in a race you have to do that, but it makes little sense to do it in training (at least too often). You'll most likely overtrain, not recover, get an injury and then just get plain fed up, despite how macho you might otherwise feel.

In regard to that point, you don't have to train for 30-40 hours a week either. Actually, 12-16 hours a week will do nicely, assuming you constructed your programme well. I just mentioned that because there are still so many brickhead macho trigeeks out there who think more is better. That's OK if you what to be macho etc. but it won't give you the best possible result. Maybe one day they'll realize!

E.g. In my club here in Finland, our elite members train on average 16-18 hours per week. For the short distance the best time of one of our members is 1.48 (with about 6 others under 2h00), and better still we got 5 guys under 9h30 for the ironman (3 guys under 9h00). All with similar "low" training mileages. Yep, and they all use HR monitors (POLAR of course!).

So, get your aerobic and anaerobic HRs measured (however you want), and set up your programme based on that 70/20/10 division of low, medium, and high intensity training. Hope what I wrote helps and if you have any more specific questions, then drop me a line.

Jyri Manninen
Jyvaskyla University, Finland